The Spoils of War
by ShardsandAshes
Summary: Her participation in the Final Battle affected Poppy Pomfrey more than anyone realized. Minerva McGonagall must help her deal with the repercussions.


**Disclaimer****: I don't own it, and I make no money off of it. Please don't sue me.**

**AN:**** This AU story was written for anonymouth and was inspired by a chapter in one of her stories. The pairing is Minerva McGonagall/Poppy Pomfrey. It takes place a week or two after the Final Battle. In this story, I am presenting the idea that Poppy Pomfrey, being a medi-witch, would normally have been exempt from military service and thus would have received no formal magical combat training.**

It was Harry Potter who first alerted Minerva that something was wrong with Poppy Pomfrey, but other students, staff, and parents were quick to agree.

"She's always been strict, Headmistress, but she's gone far beyond that now. I don't want to insult her, but I would have to call her mean. She's been losing her temper and shouting at everyone, even throwing things. Sometimes she apologizes, and sometimes she doesn't. It seems like she's apologizing less and getting angry more as the days pass. She's still doing her job, but her bedside manner has turned completely sour," Harry said. The young man was obviously concerned.

Minerva asked, "Do you have any suspicion as to what might be bothering her? That doesn't sound like Poppy at all."

Harry considered. "I do, but you may not like it. Again, I don't want to insult the matron. But I really think she needs a good fight. She needs to duel someone and get rid of her excess aggression. It's happening to most of the students who fought in the battle. Why do you think everyone has been dueling? We've got each other, but she has no one."

"But she's decades older than you. Why would it be affecting her so strongly?" Minerva wondered.

"Have you considered that this may be the first real battle she's ever been involved in? Aren't medical staff and healers always exempt from combat service? But she had to fight this time. She also had to tend all of the injured…and officially declare the dead. Her nightmares are probably as bad as ours."

Harry glanced back at her. "You know her much better than I could ever hope to, Headmistress. But it might not hurt to check on Madam Pomfrey. There's no one left in the hospital wing now. There's no one left but her."

Minerva sighed. "Thank you, Harry. I think I will do just that."

The Headmistress wasn't sure what she was expecting when she walked into Poppy's domain, but it definitely wasn't an assortment of rolled up scrolls flying at her. Minerva dodged most of them and then cast a shield charm, her green eyes narrowing as they settled on the cause of the attack.

Poppy Pomfrey had clearly felt Minerva's charm and whirled around, wand drawn before she had a chance to think about it. What disturbed Minerva even more than the rage on her matron's usually placid face was the slicing hex that came at her from Poppy's wand. Since when did Poppy know any dark magic? And why was she reacting to a simple visitor with a potentially lethal spell?

Fortunately, Poppy's aim needed work, and the spell went wide, leaving a gash in the wall. Cursing in language that Minerva had not known Poppy knew, the matron laid startled eyes on Minerva.

The rage calmed slightly as Poppy's red face got even redder. "I'm sorry, Minerva. I wasn't expecting you."

"Clearly, you weren't. If you had been, surely you wouldn't have greeted me with a hex dark enough to catch an auror's attention. If your aim had been good, you would have been fixing me up right now. Poppy, what in Merlin's name is wrong with you?"

Minerva got no answer to her question for several moments. Poppy turned away from her, and Minerva was beginning to wonder if she would get an answer when the matron finally spoke.

"I am simply making sure that I'm prepared for escaped Death Eaters," Poppy said, her voice curiously empty of feeling.

Minerva answered carefully. "Kingsley is going to have every auror available to track them down once the current prisoners are dealt with. That's no excuse." She waited for the younger witch to respond, but Poppy said nothing. "Okay, where did you learn that kind of magic? That was a very dark spell you just used."

"I borrowed a book from the Restricted Section and taught myself when it became clear that I was going to have to fight. I doubted tickling charms and healing spells were really going to be sufficient to defend the students against Death Eaters and the Dark Lord." Poppy turned back to glare at her. "And it's not as if anyone was going to teach me what I needed to know."

The anger surprised Minerva, but she grudgingly nodded. It simply hadn't occurred to anyone to make sure that the matron could defend herself, and Minerva felt a flush of shame at neglecting her friend to the point of putting her life at risk.

"I'm sorry." The headmistress's words were waved off by Poppy.

"I've remedied the lack although I need a great deal more practice. My aim is less than accurate." The matron blushed though the anger was still clearly there.

Minerva remembered Harry's suggestion and seized her chance. "Poppy, would you like to duel? We're going to have a lot of spare time on our hands over the next few months, at least when we're not doing the physical work of putting the school back together. If I could get an idea of your skill level, I could give you some lessons, or Filius could if you'd rather."

Poppy considered. "Filius is known for his dueling skills, but frankly, I'd rather not expose my ineptitude to him. I would like some lessons, but I want you to teach me."

Minerva managed a small smile. "I agree. But first, we need to have an evaluation duel so I can assess your strengths and weaknesses. The Room of Requirement is in working order. Shall we go there? I'd rather not wreck the hospital wing."

The matron nodded, and Minerva followed her through the half-restored halls of the school and entered the Room of Requirement. Since Minerva was more experienced in dueling protocol, she told the room what they required, and the appropriate chamber was quickly created.

"This is not a formal duel, but we will lay a few ground rules. First, have you learned the Unforgivables?" Minerva asked.

Hesitantly, Poppy nodded.

Minerva raised her brow in surprise. "Have you used them?"

Poppy glanced away. "I've used the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse, both during the battle."

The headmistress sighed. "Poppy, I'm hardly going to turn you over to the aurors for defending yourself." She paused, eyeing the matron curiously. "Did you cast them successfully?"

Poppy actually smirked. "How do you think Rabastan Lestrange died?"

Minerva chuckled, and Poppy relaxed slightly.

"As I was saying, the first rule is no Unforgivables. The second rule is nothing that will kill either of us. The third rule is that the duel ends when one of us has the other's wand." She paused. "You may use dark magic if you'd like. The wards are only set to detect Unforgivables. But be aware that I know it too. I'd rather neither of us end up back in the hospital wing or even St. Mungo's." She paused, eyeing the matron appraisingly. "Are we agreed?"

Poppy drew her wand with an eagerness that convinced Minerva that the younger witch was indeed spoiling for a fight.

"Agreed!" Poppy declared.

Minerva chuckled again, drawing her own wand. If it was a fight Poppy wanted, it was a fight she was going to get.

Twenty minutes later, the curses were still flying fast and furious, and Minerva was fighting to stay on her feet. Poppy's aim indeed needed work, but she was nimble and agile in ways that the elder witch was not. Dodging and ducking had left the headmistress gasping for breath, and Poppy looked close to the end of her own endurance as well. But Poppy's expression made it clear that something more physical than a verbal request would be required to end the duel.

Minerva resorted to an unexpected solution. She cast a spinning charm on Poppy, whirling her around and then taking advantage of her extra height to grab the shorter witch around the waist, using her other hand to snatch Poppy's wand even as she dragged them both to the floor.

For a few moments, all that could be heard was their panting breaths. Minerva felt the tension draining from Poppy's body as she held her, steadying the younger woman as they both recovered.

Poppy finally spoke. "I've been an awful bitch lately, haven't I?" The comment held amusement and sheepishness.

Minerva stroked her friend's arm reassuringly. "Yes. But at least, we have thoroughly disproven the theory that Poppy Pomfrey is a saint."

Poppy laughed, a high, sweet sound that caused an odd flutter in Minerva's heart.

"They thought me a saint, did they? They have never seen what goes on inside my head." Poppy laughed again, but she stopped short when Minerva's innocently wandering hand began to wander into a place that was not so innocent.

"Minerva?" Poppy whispered, shuddering as the hand traced her ample chest concealed beneath the modest medical robes she wore.

Minerva shifted, pulling her closer and letting her hand trail even lower. Poppy gasped, and Minerva smiled.

"Poppy," Minerva whispered in her ear. "You said you weren't a saint. Have you ever been with a woman before?"

Poppy's blue eyes widened. "No." She swallowed hard. "But I've thought about it."

"Was there anyone in particular who you thought about?" Minerva asked.

The younger witch was finding it more and more difficult to speak as Minerva let her hand slip beneath the edge of Poppy's robe and begin a slow torturous journey up the inside of her leg.

But she managed to gasp out, "You! I thought about you. I always think about you."

"For how long, Poppy? For how long have you thought about me?" Minerva's voice was quietly commanding, and the matron found herself helpless to do anything but answer her.

"Since you were Head Girl and I was a prefect, I've wanted you."

Minerva smiled, brushing dislodged locks of hair behind Poppy's ears.

"I suppose then that we should see to making up for lost time."

That night, Minerva and Poppy finally learned just how sweet the spoils of war could be.

Harry saw the headmistress a few days later and said, "Madam Pomfrey seems to be back to her normal self."

Minerva just laughed. "We both are."

Harry saw the look in the headmistress's eyes and decided that he wouldn't ask what she meant by that.

There were some things a student just didn't want to know about their professor.


End file.
